The 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) represents a major advance in cellular technology. LTE is designed to meet carrier needs for high-speed data and media transport as well as high-capacity voice support well into the next decade. It encompasses high-speed data, multimedia unicast and multimedia broadcast services. The LTE air interface standards aims to reduce delays, improve spectrum flexibility, and reduce cost for operators and end users.
The LTE physical layer (PHY) specifies a highly efficient means of conveying both data and control information between an enhanced base station (eNodeB) and mobile user equipment (UE). The LTE PHY performs a series of physical layer procedures such as, for example, synchronization procedures, cell search and timing synchronization, power control, random access procedure, CQI reporting and MIMO feedback, hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ), and ACK/NACK detection, that enable data transport services. An N-channel Stop-and-Wait HARQ may be used in LTE to improve the robustness of data transmission over the wireless channel. Both IR (Incremental Redundancy) based HARQ and CC (Chase Combining) based HARQ may be supported.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with some aspects of the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.